When I was shooting this picture back in November of 2013, I thought it had strong possibilities. Quite often when your making pics you know if you got something good or not almost immediately. I remember back in my photo life to various times where I had that feeling. Like when I was photographing Lewis with a needle in his arm shooting up a heroin-cocaine speed ball back in West Oakland or when I had Matt in the studio and she was posing in her half man half woman way in Pattaya Thailand. It was the same with this image, I felt something special was there. I later sort of forgot about shot, chose another pic of the same girl from a different time that is currently hanging at the gallery. I wanted to print another neg of the dump to place into the show as a replacement print but could not find it then came upon this forgotten negative tonight. It a bit like fate was pulling me back to it. Somehow it became inevitable that it would be shown.
The photo is of the young girl leaning up against hammock in the shade with multiple people and a grater working behind her in the distance under a very bright hot sun. I think this photograph has the potential to be very good, maybe even a very strong image. It tells the story of this girls life, it speaks to what most likely awaits her in the future. The softness and beauty of the young child is overshadowed by the difficult life she will be forced to live.
Here is a mask I made for the girl against the hammock neg. As you can see she is quite dark and the background blown out. I am made 2 masks for this photo, hopefully in the next few hours I will have something passable and in 5 or 6 a viable print. I do not care how long it takes I will work a week straight to bring this neg to life. This is why I do photography, to tell the stories of forgotten people, I can now tell this girls story and show her to the people of Edmonton and Calgary at the opening on Feb 7.
When I get this photograph printed and in the show, I think I will make it one of my story videos for YouTube. Now enough of this writing shit, I got to make this photo sing!
The photo is of the young girl leaning up against hammock in the shade with multiple people and a grater working behind her in the distance under a very bright hot sun. I think this photograph has the potential to be very good, maybe even a very strong image. It tells the story of this girls life, it speaks to what most likely awaits her in the future. The softness and beauty of the young child is overshadowed by the difficult life she will be forced to live.
Here is a mask I made for the girl against the hammock neg. As you can see she is quite dark and the background blown out. I am made 2 masks for this photo, hopefully in the next few hours I will have something passable and in 5 or 6 a viable print. I do not care how long it takes I will work a week straight to bring this neg to life. This is why I do photography, to tell the stories of forgotten people, I can now tell this girls story and show her to the people of Edmonton and Calgary at the opening on Feb 7.
When I get this photograph printed and in the show, I think I will make it one of my story videos for YouTube. Now enough of this writing shit, I got to make this photo sing!
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| Mask #2 young girl leaning on hammock, Mae Sot garbage dump November 2013 |
